Water collection options for the garden?

[Paul_B]

We're a low mains water using household and looking to stay that way. However we're doing more gardening lately and need more water than a slimline eaterbutt gives. We're looking at moving that down to the front where less water is needed and replacing it with a higher volume water butt. However it's only possible spot due to gutter flow is by the side gate where a water collection vessel that sticks out too much will create issues with access.

I think there's only two options, a water butt against the wall that is wide side to side but a smaller dimension out from the wall.

The other option is putting in another water collection option to supplement the existing one that just fits. We can't daisy chain them along the wall because of space and a window, so it would need to be elsewhere. There's no gutters on the summerhouse or greenhouse to collect rain efficiently. Is there another way to collect water?

 

[Mesquite]

Have you got room to install an underground rainwater cistern?

No affiliation to that particular company, just the first one that came up when I searched.

 

[Toddy]

I find that it's worth the expense to fit the narrow gutters and downpipes to greenhouses and sheds. It keeps the water away from them, but it also collects it for use on chosen plants, planters, etc., and not just soak under the sheds or splash against wall. It's kind of a win/win.

 

[MrEd]

Put gutters on your greenhouse and summer house.

You can get a device tht will mount near a downpipe on the wall that will then divert the water a much longer distance to fill a remote water butt (or IBC or whatever)

No experience of it myself, I just came across it while trying to work out my rain saving

Cheap Rainwater Harvesting System- A Smarter Use For Water Butts

RAINPOD is the ultimate way for cheap rainwater harvesting to save you huge amounts of rainwater, year after year. Be smart and use your water butts in much more efficient manner.

www.save-rainwater.co.uk

 

[British Red]

Its possible to collect and transfer by daisy chaining at ground level. We cover that when we describe our garden set-up

 

[Paul_B]

Very informative video BR. I'd seen it on another thread before I posted but didn't watch it as it looked beyond what we need. It is however very informative and surprisingly it was relevant to our small requirements. I think the idea of linking containers together with hozelock or even gardenia connectors makes a good idea. They don't even need to be nearby.

The 100l water butt we have has a flat circle area just below the top curve leading to the lid. This has a plug in it which I'm guessing is to allow an overflow into a second water butt. A hose connector and hose to the next one at the bottom might be one option. The second container being other side of the adjacent window to the first. Could be a 230l or even 300l one there.

We're low use but do run out on dry spells when we have them, not that often being south Cumbria though. A little more might be enough.

 

[Stew]

I find it’s better to interconnect at the bottom to encourage a mix of water between butts.

 

[slowworm]

I would worry about leaks emptying all the connected tanks if I connected them at the bottom. More of a worry for us as we're not on the mains.

I would second the idea of rerouting the downpipes of the house gutters. A water.butt doesn't have to be next to a downpipe.

 

[Stew]

A fair concern. I suppose I’m fortunate to be on the mains so it’s less of a concern.

 

[Kadushu]

I connect 3 butts together using hoses set up as a permanent syphon. This means the butts don't need to be drilled anywhere and the water level in the 3 butts is kept identical. The downside is that if the level drops below the end of a hose then the syphon is broken and will have to be set up again.

 

[TeeDee]

For those lucky enough to live by close to a stream or river.

Check if you need a licence to abstract water

If you abstract water or plan to, you may need to apply for an abstraction licence.

www.gov.uk

 

[MrEd]

For those lucky enough to live by close to a stream or river.

Check if you need a licence to abstract water

If you abstract water or plan to, you may need to apply for an abstraction licence.

www.gov.uk

Drill a borehole in your garden - I can’t imagine ANY normal domestic house using more than 20cm3 a day tbh

 

[TLM]

I can’t imagine ANY normal domestic house using more than 20cm3 a day to be honest

SI demon strikes again.

I am collecting water from about 50 m² roof area to 1000l cube that did cost me about eur100. It has been there for about 20 years and I think it has run dry once.

 

[grizzlyj]

Someone on a camper forum who said he worked for hoze lock said there is no legal requirements controlling what hosepipe is made from.
This mentions legionella may be a risk too.
I have a hoze lock pipe with a timer on it feeding my polytunnel drip system every morning, plus another connecting two waterbutts, but I'm looking to change to mains water blue 25mm or food grade hose pipe soon. I have no idea if plastic from the hose can end up in my tomatoes?
Are water butts food grade anyway? These might be an alternative?

 

[Stew]

Drill a borehole in your garden - I can’t imagine ANY normal domestic house using more than 20cm3 a day tbh

Do you need to be over an aquifer(?) though?

 

[TeeDee]

Drill a borehole in your garden - I can’t imagine ANY normal domestic house using more than 20cm3 a day tbh

Are you familiar with the costs of installing a Borehole?

 

[rarms]

For a garden scenario, and if you have space, I would look on facebook marketplace or similar for some plastic pallets, stack a few on top of each other near a guttering downpipes, and then put an IBC on top. That should give you enough height to gravity feed a small veg plot or similar.

 

[Paul_B]

Gravity feed? Not in my house. It goes up steeply from the patio with the drain the downpipe goes to. I don't think I've lived in a place where the garden could be gravity fed. Some people must live in very flat places.

 

[grizzlyj]

That is a good video, thank you
Does one of the IBCs have an overflow? How do you connect that, would it be down pipe sized I spose?
One of my hoses is the same type of red food grade hose used in campers from when we had one, but when it's even a bit chilly out it gets super stiff to unwind.

 

[Ystranc]

We're a low mains water using household and looking to stay that way. However we're doing more gardening lately and need more water than a slimline eaterbutt gives. We're looking at moving that down to the front where less water is needed and replacing it with a higher volume water butt. However it's only possible spot due to gutter flow is by the side gate where a water collection vessel that sticks out too much will create issues with access.

I think there's only two options, a water butt against the wall that is wide side to side but a smaller dimension out from the wall.

The other option is putting in another water collection option to supplement the existing one that just fits. We can't daisy chain them along the wall because of space and a window, so it would need to be elsewhere. There's no gutters on the summerhouse or greenhouse to collect rain efficiently. Is there another way to collect water?

You could always add another downspout somewhere more convenient. This will also make it necessary to move some of the guttering clips up or down to ensure the water drains towards the new downspout. We have a few rainwater butts dotted around where they’re most use.